Thank you for being a part of this special evening and your continued support of the Spirit of Hope Benefit

Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center would like to extend an immense thank you to everyone who joined us at Spirit of Hope this year and made the evening very special. Whether you're looking to relive the moments or were unable to attend this year, we hope you enjoy some of the below highlights.

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                                                Watch FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo's opening remarks:

With more than 2,200 guests in attendance and $3.7 million raised, the Jewish community and its supporters stood united in a celebration of human rights, freedom and tolerance at the 2018 Spirit of Hope Benefit.

The evening included numerous FSWC members – including co-chairs Tom and Anna Koffler and Joel and Dr. Melissa Feldberg – taking to the stage to speak about the importance of the organization's work as well as a moving tribute performance by Aviva Rajsky.

It was the conversation between former prime ministers Ehud Barak, Stephen Harper and Jose Maria Aznar that everyone was waiting for. Moderator "60 Minutes" correspondent Lara Logan had the speakers delving into timely and though-provoking discussions and opening up about where they stood on current issues such as antisemitism in Europe, the Israel-Gaza conflict and anti-Israel bias."Many more countries are sympathetic with Israel than say so publicly...diplomacy is often about taking the easiest path," said Harper, adding that the problem isn't simply with the far-right or far-left, but with "mainstream narratives against Israel."

All three speakers spoke positively about the future of Israel, with Aznar stating the position of Israel is better today than it was in the past few decades and Barak stating Israel will continue to flourish despite the Middle East remaining a hostile environment.

Funds raised at Spirit of Hope go directly towards supporting FSWC's growing list of advocacy initiatives and education programs that help increase awareness about the Holocaust and human rights issues, helping make the world a better place today and in the future.

Thank you for believing in our work and vision, and we hope to see you back at Spirit of Hope next year!